Council's Frances to retire after 26 years

A dedicated employee - who has been the long-serving friendly face of reception at Eastwood HQ - is retiring after a 26-year career with the council.

Customer Services Assistant Frances Healy will bid farewell to colleagues at East Renfrewshire Council on Friday 9 November.

And it will be a double celebration, as she celebrates her 65th birthday on the same day.

Frances, who has two children, started her career with the council in 1992 as a member of the office staff at St Ninian's High.

Having spent 10 years at the school, Frances joined the council's Customer First team in 2002, initially in the Barrhead offices before moving to the reception at Eastwood five years later.

I loved working in the school but the Customer First role really appealed to me because I liked the idea of being the first point of contact for people, putting customers' needs first and always going the extra mile - and that's remained my focus throughout. I think it's extremely important that when residents enter the council building that they are welcomed and assured they will be helped in any way we can. I will miss interacting with our customers and the job satisfaction this gives me, as well as all my colleagues and friends. Working for Customer First has been amazing and it's been a really happy place to work. Frances Healy

Before joining the council, Frances enjoyed a career working for the NHS, including roles managing medical records, as an A&E receptionist and as an auxiliary nurse.

Frances then moved to St Ninian's, where both her children were pupils, and then into Customer First, a role which can involve everything from making registration appointments for births and deaths, directing people with money concerns to the most appropriate support and assisting customer service colleagues.

Frances is well known by so many of our residents and will be missed by us all. She regularly goes above and beyond to help support residents as much as she can. It has been fantastic to have Frances as part of our Customer First team for the past 16 years, her friendly and welcoming nature such an asset for this role. Everyone at the council wishes her well in her retirement. Chief Executive Lorraine McMillan